SISTERS w/Seattle Rock Orchestra Quintet @ Neumos, Interview

June 6th, 2014. That’s the first time I had a chat with Seattle duo, SISTERS. The duo, made up of Andrew Vait and Emily Westman, were, and still are, making some extraordinarily curious music. Being multi-intrumentalists, Andrew and Emily made a collective decision, I can only assume, to challenge themselves musically as SISTERS’ debut EP, Diamonds of Gold, is layered and complex with each song being pleasantly disparate from the next and catchy as f–k. Each klang, whirrr, handclap and every other odd sound you might hear on the album are translated perfectly to the stage. I’ve seen these folks play live and it’s a remarkable thing to witness.

If ever you’ve had the opportunity to see SISTERS live or if you’ve listened to their record, then you know just how hard these two work to bring you, dear music lover, a magnificent body of work.

Buy tickets here –> Neumos Presents: Sisters + Seattle Rock Orchestra Quintet feat. Tamara Power-Drutis, with Maiah Manser

the mixtape: You’re playing with the Seattle Rock Orchestra Quintet which will essentially be your backing band. Seeing as your music is elaborate and the two of you play multiple instruments live and on the record, what were the biggest challenges you came across while arranging the music for this show at Neumos?

SISTERS: The biggest challenge is not over-doing it. There is already a lot going on in our live set (we will still be playing our usual setup as well as having the strings) and it’s easy to write super busy, over-the-top string parts, but I wanted to be careful to still try and leave space. I tried to honor the 70’s disco strings tradition!

tm: How did playing with the Seattle Rock Orchestra Quintet come about?

S: I (Emily) am the drummer and an orchestrator for the Seattle Rock Orchestra, so it was a pretty natural occurrence. Our friend, Scott Teske (SRO artistic director and founder), has been very supportive of SISTERS and wanted to collaborate at the first chance!

tm: I visited your website recently and stumbled across a new song called “Buck”. It’s got more of a 1983 electronic, spacey sound to it compared to the songs on your EP, Diamonds of Gold. Is this song indicative of what’s to come from Sisters?

S: It is indicative of some of our new direction, certainly, but not the full picture. We tried to address many of our influences and loves on our debut EP, Diamonds of Gold, and we will continue this process on our upcoming full-length. We like to take our audience on a rollercoaster of emotions! And who doesn’t love 1983 electronic, spacey sounds?

tm: On your Facebook page you’re asking people to send in suggestions of cover songs they want to hear you two play at your upcoming show at Neumos. What songs have been sailing through your inbox? Also, you mention that “it’s time for another cover song challenge!”. What cover song/s have you played in the past?

S: Our first cover song challenge was for Christmas, so it was all holiday tunes. This one has rung in such gems as the “Law and Order SVU Theme” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. We will just have to see how the spirit moves us! Our only live cover tune we’ve performed so far has been Sia’s “Chandelier”. Andrew sure loves those high notes.

tm: Do you have a specific memory of making or receiving a mixtape from back when you were a kid that stands out?

S: Of course! I made mixtapes and friendship bracelets for people, but also made tons of them for myself. I had mixtapes that applied to different activities throughout the day: Mixtape for brushing my teeth and getting ready for school, mixtape for cleaning my room, mixtape for bedtime. All I remember off the bedtime mixtape was the first track, which was the Beatles Dear Prudence, and then I somehow always fell asleep.

tm: If SISTERS were an action figure what would your accessories be?

S: The frog and triangle from “Back 2 U”.

tm: What’s on the horizon for SISTERS? Full length album? Tour? A visit to the MOHAI? Please, explain yourselves.

S: All of the above, and you can take that to the bank! Come find us on your next Ride the Ducks tour.